netneutrality

Internet companies' seminal argument against common carrier rules slams glow in the dark prophylactic

15 May 2015 by Steve Blum
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The telecoms companies and associated lobbyists that are challenging the Federal Communication Commission’s common carrier rules for the Internet did the completely expected and asked an appeals court to put the new regulations on hold. The move followed the FCC’s completely expected denial of a similar request.

The arguments are pretty much the same. Again, the companies and lobbyists are pulling a public relations stunt by saying hey, it’s okay if the stuff about no blocking goes into effect because we’re such high minded corporate citizens that we’re doing it anyway.… More

Verizon steers mobile broadband toward advertising and video with AOL deal

13 May 2015 by Steve Blum
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Will the network be neutral enough?

As Verizon runs away from wireline – copper or glass – telecoms service, it’s accelerating towards a video and advertising-centric business model. Yesterday it announced that it will buy AOL, assuming shareholders and regulatory agencies agree. It clearly wants AOL’s online advertising platform, although the draw has to be the technology rather than a killer market share: AOL claims less than 1% of revenue in the online advertising business.… More

FCC declines to shoot itself in the head

11 May 2015 by Steve Blum
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Oh, baby, you are so talented – and they are so dumb!

Check that one off the list. Pro forma petitions to delay enforcement of common carrier rules for broadband infrastructure and service were denied by the Federal Communications Commission on Friday. The request was made by pretty much every Internet service provider in the country, or at least the lobbyists representing them. They did it because it was a necessary legal hoop they had to jump through to be able to do what they really want: ask a federal appeals court to put everything on hold while they try to get the new rules thrown out completely.… More

ISP lobbyists ask FCC not to enforce common carrier rules while under court review

5 May 2015 by Steve Blum
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We’re all on the same page.

Internet service providers – nearly all of them – want the Federal Communications Commission to put common carrier regulations on hold while a federal appeals court decides whether or not the new rules are legal. Five major lobbying fronts representing cable, telephone, mobile and fixed wireless companies, as well as AT&T and CenturyLink, say that enforcing common carrier rules during the review process would cause “irreparable harm” because the appeal is “likely to succeed on the merits”.… More

More lawsuits challenge FCC common carrier broadband rules

15 April 2015 by Steve Blum
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Everyone jumps in.

The telecoms industry is piling on the Federal Communications Commission, filing a total of five separate appeals against the decision to impose common carrier rules on broadband service and infrastructure. The petitions were submitted to the federal appeals court – circuit, as it’s called – based in Washington, DC.

The most detailed protest came from the American Cable Association (ACA), which represents small cable companies…

The order (among other things) reclassifies broadband Internet access service as a “telecommunications service” subject to common carrier regulation under Title II of the Telecommunications Act of 1996…[the sections of Title II the FCC intends to enforce] impose significant new regulatory requirements—including substantive prohibitions, mandatory procedures, and record-keeping requirements on ACA’s members, many of which have never previously been subject to Title II regulation of any sort.

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Net neutrality clock starts counting down

14 April 2015 by Steve Blum
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Three, two ,one.

The twelfth of June is the day that new net neutrality rules will become effective. Those rules were approved by the Federal Communications Commission in February and released in March, and were officially published in the Federal Register yesterday, with the 12 June 2015 date specified.

There’s a big if involved, though. That’s only if a federal court doesn’t put everything on hold while considering the legal challenges that have already been filed and those that are expected to come.… More

Verizon is all keyed up over common carrier rules

28 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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I gotta give Verizon credit: it posted its slagging reaction to the FCC’s decision to impose common carrier rules on Internet service and infrastructure in Morse code. Sorta. I also gotta make the geek points that 1. the proper code of the “era of the steam locomotive and the telegraph” is American Morse, not the International Morse that Verizon uses, and 2. regardless of flavor, Morse code is a means of audible communication – rendering it via typed out dots and dashes is something only a lid would do.… More

First challenges to FCC common carrier rules enter a legal lottery

24 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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How justice is done.

Two court challenges were filed today with the intent of overturning the FCC’s decision to regulate Internet service and infrastructure using common carrier rules. One was filed in Washington, DC by an industry lobbying group – the US Telecom Association – and the other by a Texan wireless ISP – Alamo Broadband – in New Orleans, both with the respective federal appeals courts there.

US Telecom does not like anything about the rules…

US Telecom seeks review of the Order on the grounds that it is arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act…violates federal law, including, but not limited to, the Constitution, the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and FCC regulations promulgated thereunder; conflicts with the notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements of [federal law]; and is otherwise contrary to law.

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Legal challenges to FCC decisions coming soon

22 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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Washington-based lobbying groups are making the first rumblings of legal challenges to the FCC’s decision to bring common carrier regulation to Internet service and infrastructure. Reuters is reporting that telecoms companies plan to let their trade associations take the lead on legal challenges.

We might see the first filings this week. The first step is for the FCC to publish the text of the ruling in the Federal Register, which might happen in the next few days.… More

If you like the status quo you'll love the FCC's new Internet rules

16 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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I thought you didn’t want anything to change?

Some questions about common carrier Internet rules were answered, some were, again, left hanging in the FCC’s 400-page decision released on Thursday. Here’s the rundown on the five key questions I highlighted last month…

Muni broadband systems – the new rules don’t specifically address publicly-owned ISPs, but taken together with the FCC’s decision to preempt state restrictions on muni broadband, it’s pretty clear that there’s no exemption.… More